Nearly hidden on The Associated Press wire Tuesday - stuck between "Nuclear plant fire" and "Cruise ship threats," and just above "Missing boy" and "Half of world contracts SARS" (OK, just kidding on that one) - was the latest report about the state of the U.S. economy.

Reading economy stories in the past year hasn't been a special treat.

Unemployment has steadily climbed.

Sales haven't been where the sellers wanted them.

Political situations have made people jittery.

So, when the story first popped into the system, we weren't in much of a rush to read it, but we summoned our courage and opened the computer file.

Imagine our surprise when the news was - good.

Wages and benefits rose 1.3 percent in the first quarter. That's the largest jump in years.

And a quick end to Gulf War II has made consumers feel pretty good. Confidence in the present and future state of the economy rose 33 percent, from an index reading of 61 to 81. That's a hefty jump by anyone's measure.

It's also an important one. Consumer spending is what drives our economy.

People who have more money in their pockets and feel a little more secure about where things are headed are more likely to spend on some of the extras that they have been doing without lately.

Some new clothes. Maybe a little getaway. Perhaps a new television or piece of furniture.

That spending - not some tax cut for the wealthiest Americans who will squirrel the money away - will create economic activity that will spur job growth and investment.

For example, when retail sales grow, the effects are many - pulling products from manufacturers and employing transportation services to move them and involving personnel to handle them. That type of activity turns dollars over and over.